Page images
PDF
EPUB

I. From which conceffion, which he thus openly makes, he would be understood (as I told you) to infer, though the inference be not expreffed, that there muft, therefore, neceffarily be another ftate, to make up the inequalities of this, and to falve all irregular appearances. For if God be infinitely holy and pure, and juft and good; he must needs take delight in thofe of his creatures that resemble him most in these perfections: He cannot but love virtue, where-ever it is, and reward it, and annex happiness always to the exercife of it. And yet this is fo far from being the cafe, that the contrary often happens in this life; where even the greatest faints are fometimes made the most remarkable inftances of fuffering. We may, therefore, furely conclude, that there must be a future ftate, wherein these rewards fhall be bestowed, and this love of God to good men made to appear, and the eternal and Infeparable connexion between virtue and happi nefs manifefted, in the fight of angels and men. It cannot confift with the divine attributes, that the impious man's joys fhould, upon the whole, exceed those of the upright; or that the beafts of the field, which ferve him not, and know him not, fhould yet enjoy a more entire and perfect happiness, than the lord of this lower creation, man himself, made in God's own image to aca knowledge and adore him and therefore, as certainly as God is, a time there will and must be, when all thefe unequal diftributions of good and evil fhall be fet right, and the wisdom and reasonablenefs of all his tranfactions with all his creatures be made as clear as the noon-day. VOL. II.

B

And

And this, before that revelation had enlightened the world, was the very beft argument for a future eftate, which mankind had to reft upon. Their philofophical reafonings, drawn from the nature of the foul, and from the inftincts and prefages of immortality implanted in it, were not fufficiently clear and conclufive. The only fure foundation of hope, which the wifest and most thoughtful men amongst the heathen pretended in this cafe to have, was, from the confideration fuggefted in the text: And from thence fome of them reafoned without doubt and hesitancy; and lived and died in fuch a manner, as to fhew, that they believed their own reafonings.

It may fuffice, thus far to have enlarged on that great argument of a future ftate, which is urged by St. Paul in the words before us: "If "in this life only we had hope, men would real"ly be more miserable than beasts; and the best "of men oftentimes the most miserable. But it " is impoffible to imagine that a God of infinite "wifdom and goodness should distribute happi"nefs and mifery fo unequally and abfurdly : It "remains, therefore, that good men have a well"grounded hope in another life; and are certain "of a future recompence, as they are of the Being, and attributes of God."

III. The beft ufe I can make of this comfortable truth, thus explained, is, To exhort you from thence to live like those who have their hope in another life; like men who look upon themfelves as being upon their paffage only thro' this prefent world, but as belonging properly to that

which is to come. And thus we may be faid to live, if we obferve the following plain rules and directions; which are not the lefs useful, because they are plain ones. Several of them will give a natural occasion to those who knew the deceased perfon, of anticipating his character in their thoughts: For he did really in good meafure (and with due allowances made for human frailties) govern himself by them; and I may, for that reafon, I hope, be fuffered to infift the more freely upon them.

Now, to Live like those that have their hope in another life, implies,

Firft, That we indulge ourselves in the gratifications of this prefent life very sparingly; that w♣ keep under our appetites, and do not let them loofe into the enjoyments of fenfe: But fo use the good things of this world, as not abufing them; fo take delight in them, as to remember that we are to part with them, and to exchange them for more excellent and durable enjoyments. Brethren (fays St. Peter), I beseech you, as pilgrims, abstain from flefbly lufts: 2 Pet. ii. 11. They, who pafs through a foreign country, towards their native home, do not ufually give up themselves to an eager pursuit of the pleasures of the place; ought not to dwell long upon them, and with greedinefs; but make ufe of them only for their refreshment on the way, and fo, as not to be diverted from purfuing their journey.

A good Chriftian must partake of those grateful repafts of fenfe, which he meets with here below, in like manner as the Jews did of their paffover with their loins girded, their foes on their feet,

B 2

feet, and their staff in their hand, eating it in hafte; Exod. xii. 11. that is, he must always be in a tra❤ velling posture, and fo tafte fenfual pleafures, as one that is about to leave them, and defires to be ftopped as little as he can by them, in his way towards the end of his hopes, the falvation of his foul. And to this cuftom of the Jews St. Peter, in his exhortation to fobriety and temperance, may be fuppofed to allude; Wherefore (fays he) gird up the loins of your mind and be ye fober, I Pet. i. 13.

Indeed, it is impoffible for a ran to have a lively hope in another life, and yet be deeply immerfed in the enjoyments of this; ina much as the happiness of our future ftate fo far exceeds all that we can propofe to ourselves at prefent, both in degree and duration; that to one firmly perfuaded of the reality of that happiness, and earneftly defirous of obtaining it, all earthly fatisfactions must needs look little, and grow flat and unfavoury especially, when by experience he: finds, that too free a participation of these, in difpofes him extremely for thofe; for all the duties that are neceffary to be performed, and all the good qualities that are neceffary to be attained,, in order to arrive at them. He perceives plainly, that his appetite to fpiritual things abates, in proportion as his fenfual appetite is indulged and enouraged; and that carnal defires kill not only the defire, but even the power of tasting purer delights; and, on both thefe accounts, therefore, flies too deep a draught of all earthly enjoyments: Having this hope in him, he purifieth himself, even

as He (i. e. even as the Author and Revealer of this hope) is pure. 1 John iii. 3. A

Second inftance, wherein we may be faid to live like those who have their hope in another life, is, if we bear the uneafineffes that befal us here, with Conftancy and patience; as knowing that, tho' o paffage through this world fhould be rough and troublefome, yet the trouble will be but fhort, and the reft and contentment we fhall find at the end, will be an ample recompence for all the little inconveniences we meet with, in our way to→ wards it. We must not expect, that our journey through the feveral ftages of this life fhould be all fmooth and even; or, that we should perform it wholly without difafters, Ill accidents, and hindrances. While we live in this world, where good and bad men are blended together, and; where there is also a mixture of good and evil; wifely diftributed by God, to ferve the ends of his providence; we are not to wonder, if we are moJested by the one, as well as benefited by the other. Tis our prefent lot and condition, to be fubject to fuch casualties; which, therefore, as they ought not to furprise, fo much less fhould they deject us: nor can they, if we look forward, and entertain ourselves with the profpect of that happiness to which we are haftening; and at which when we arrive, even the remembrance of the difficulties, we now undergo, will contribute to enhance ou pleasure.

Indeed, while we are in the flefh, we cannot be utterly infenfible of the afflictions that befal us: what is in itself harsh and ungrateful, must needs make harsh and ugrateful impreffions upon us.

And

« PreviousContinue »